Ex-Pak foreign minister Qureshi seeks open trial in May 9 riots case

Lahore, Jul 23 (PTI) Former Pakistan foreign minister and veteran opposition politician Shah Mahmood Qureshi has sought an open trial instead of an in-camera trial in an anti-terrorism court in connection with the May 9 riot cases.

Qureshi, a senior leader of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, is accused of abetment to the attack on Shadman police station here following Khan’s arrest on May 9 last year. He has denied all charges against him but was indicted in this case.

Punjab police shifted Qureshi, 68, to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi last week and was on Monday presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), a hearing for which was held at the Kot Lakhpat Jail.

During the hearing, the ATC-I Lahore Judge Khalid Arshad directed the lawyers of Qureshi and other suspects to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses in the Shadman police station attack case. Most of the prosecution witnesses are policemen.

During the hearing, Qureshi, who is the PTI party’s vice-chairman, requested the court to hold an open trial in the case. “Open trial is my fundamental right. The public should know about the allegations and evidence against me and other suspects in the fake cases of May 9,” he pleaded.

The judge said the court would look into the matter when Qureshi submitted a written request for the same and adjourned the next hearing till July 25.

Imran Khan, the PTI founder and hundreds of his party colleagues are being tried under multiple cases, including one under the Official Secrets Act, in connection with the May 9 violent protests by his supporters that damaged key military installations across Pakistan last year.

Khan’s party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander House), Mianwali Airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi too was attacked by the mob for the first time.

The duo was cleared recently in some cases but remain in jail as they are implicated in multiple other cases in connection with the May 9 violence across Pakistan.

The May 9 riots were triggered across the country after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Khan in the 190 million pound corruption case.